Pride Goes Before a Fall
by travelgirl
Summary: Vorik and Celes Tal go against the Captain's judgement in order to help the crew, but their plan goes horribly wrong. My first ever fic, so please R&R!


**Pride Goes Before a Fall**

by travelgirl

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Captain's Log, Stardate 54958.3: We have encountered a species called the Elveerans, who inhabit a small region of space also occupied by a wormhole. Scans have revealed that the wormhole is stable, and leads almost 8,000 lightyears in the direction of the Alpha Quadrant. But it is fiercely guarded by the Elveerans, so we are preparing to negotiate with them for passage.

"What kind of exchange?" Captain Janeway asked the viewscreen. 

In an all-too-friendly voice, the captain of the Elveeran ship replied, "Word of Voyager's journey to the Alpha Quadrant has reached even our region of space. Our wormhole would take your ship 8,000 lightyears closer to its destination. We're prepared to offer you passage, in exchange for your photon torpedo technology."

"I'm sorry," Captain Janeway replied without hesitation, "but we can't share our weapons technology with any species; it's one of the fundamental principles of our Federation. We're prepared to offer you food and medical supplies, but we are strictly forbidden to share our weapons."

"Unacceptable," said the alien in her low, raspy voice. "If you are not willing to give us photon technology, then these negotiations are terminated."

"Then I'm sorry to have wasted your time," said the Captain with a shrug. The viewscreen switched off.

"Captain," began Chakotay delicately, leaning toward her so the rest of the bridge crew couldn't hear, "are you sure you don't want to consider this? It's an amazing opportunity for Voyager."

"That's not the point, Chakotay," Janeway said. "We can't go around breaking any rules we please just because they don't suit our situation. You should know that by now."

Chakotay nodded, and muttered under his breath, "The crew is not going to be happy about this one!"

~ ~*~ ~

Ensign Vorik was resting in his quarters after a tiresome shift in Engineering; B'Elanna had been absolutely furious at the Captain's quick decision that morning. The Captain hadn't even consulted the crew about the situation, B'Elanna had raved, and now Voyager would never get home. B'Elanna had been irritable toward every officer in Engineering for the rest of the day, and probably would be for the next couple of weeks. Some of Vorik's fellow junior officers had planned to dine together in the Mess Hall that evening and catch up on the news around the ship. Vorik chose not to attend, because he knew that the only "news" to be discussed would be the complaints of the other officers about Captain Janeway's decision and their personal opinions about how _they would have handled the situation. Vorik, too, believed that the Captain had acted less than logically, but he wasn't about to say so. She had made her decision, and it was final, regardless of the feelings of an insignificant group of junior officers. And he was tired of hearing about the situation from Lieutenant Torres, and wanted nothing more than to spend a quiet evening alone, relaxing with his own thoughts._

_Beeep! Someone was at the door._

Supressing a sigh, Vorik called out, "Enter!" and was surprised when a Bajoran crewman, someone whom he recognized by sight but had never met before, entered his quarters. Searching his memory, Vorik recalled that the crewman was Celes Tal, from Astrometrics. What was she doing here?

Before Vorik could ask that very question, Celes exclaimed, "Ensign Vorik! I'm glad you're in. My name is Tal. We've never met, but I need to ask your help with something." For some reason she was very excited.

"It's nice to meet you," the Vulcan said uncertainly. "Please, have a seat. How can I help you, Crewman Celes?"

"Okay, it's like this. Well, first of all, you have to promise not to tell Captain Janeway what I'm about to say. It's alright if you don't want to go along with my plan, but please don't tell her or anyone else, okay?"

Vorik knew better than to make promises without knowing all the facts, so he replied, "Regretfully, I cannot promise you anything until you tell me what you have in mind. Then I will use my own judgement to determine whether it's appropriate to keep your 'plan' from the Captain."

After several thoughtful moments, Celes finally agreed: "I don't really have much choice, since you're the most trustworthy person on board capable of doing what I'm proposing."

"Exactly what are you proposing, Crewman?"

Tal took a deep breath. "Okay, here goes," she began. "You know how mad most of the crew is at Captain Janeway's decision to reject the Elveerans' offer, right?"

Vorik knew all too well about the crew's outrage. He nodded, and she continued: "Well, I don't think we've entirely missed our chance to get access to that wormhole."

The Vulcan held up a hand to interrupt. "I had a chance to view a tactical analysis of this area of space today, Crewman Celes. And although the aliens do not possess photon torpedoes, there are hundreds if not thousands of ships guarding the wormhole. Any attempt at forcing our way through will surely fail."

It was Celes's turn to interrupt. "That's not what I had in mind. Most of the officers I've spoken to are infuriated that the Captain would throw away such a great opportunity. Sure, some of them can respect her decision, but they certainly don't agree with it. So…." And she paused briefly, considering, then blurted out the rest: "…I was hoping you'd help me send an encrypted subspace transmission to the alien ships, offering to secretly provide them with photon technology so they'll grant us passage through the wormhole. I'd do it myself, but everyone knows how bad I am with things like this—_my_ message would probably be detected instantly. I haven't mentioned this to anyone else, because I don't trust anybody to keep a secret this big. But you're a Vulcan, so if anyone can do this and keep it secret, it's you. So, will you help me?" She looked at him hopefully.

Vorik didn't need to mull over this decision; he stood up: "I will most certainly _not help you, and frankly I am amazed that you would suggest such a thing to me. Do not attempt to carry out your 'plan', or I _will _inform the Captain."_

"Wait, Vorik!" she protested. "Don't you see what a great opportunity this is? Not only will we be that much closer to home, but you and I would be doing a great service for our crew. And if we don't give the Elveerans photon technology, some other species could do it just as easily. Think about it. And besides, once we're on the other side of the wormhole, who cares what they do with our technology? It's out of our hands. And don't you _want _to go home? Everyone else sure does. We won't get another chance like this for a long, long time. Are you prepared to live with that, knowing there was something more that could have been done? I mean, the reward here is greater than the cost!" She faltered, and stood waiting for Vorik to reply.

The Vulcan actually appeared to be reconsidering the situation. On one hand, he could see the logic in what Celes Tal was suggesting. All of the points she made were valid; there were dozens of other torpedo-equipped species in the Quadrant who could just as easily share their technology with the Elveerans. The Captain was only refusing on Starfleet principle alone. But Starfleet wouldn't penalize a Captain for taking extreme measures to ensure the well being of her crew, especially under such extraordinary circumstances. He would have to think about this carefully. "I will….consider your proposal, Crewman Celes. You will have an answer tomorrow."

Vorik spent the better part of the night weighing the pros and cons of such an undertaking. He was surprised with himself for actually considering taking part in this outrageous scheme. But if it worked, which seemed likely, Voyager would be almost _ten years _closer to home!

Celes arrived early the following morning, anxious for Vorik's decision. "Well, what did you decide? Are you with me? Come on, think of the crew!"

Vorik regarded her and slowly responded: "I believe I have come to a decision, but I have one question before I commit. Assuming your idea is successful, how can Captain Janeway set course for the wormhole without knowing the true reason for the Elveerans' sudden change of heart?"

Tal dismissed the question with a wave of her hand. "I've got it all figured out. Sit down and I'll tell you all about it." 

He was indeed impressed with Crewman Celes's thoroughness. It was a very solid plan, and if all aspects were carried out precisely, he anticipated no problems whatsoever.

That evening, after his shift, (during which B'Elanna had been no less grumpy than the previous day), Tal returned to his quarters and they prepared to carry out her plan. She was clearly very nervous, and Vorik realized with surprise that he, too, was quite anxious. He activated his computer console, then closed his eyes for a moment while he got his feelings under control. He was Vulcan, after all. He began to input the necessary security algorithms to ensure a safe transmission. They sat down, and Vorik paused one last time to make absolutely sure that he wanted to do this. _The reward is greater than the cost, he repeated to himself. _Captain Janeway rarely makes illogical decisions, but this is one case where ___all of us_ would benefit from an opportunity __such as__ this._ He reached out and opened a comlink._

"You do the talking," Tal whispered.

The blurry image of a female Elveeran appeared on his monitor. Vorik thought fleetingly that Elveeran faces vaguely resembled those of Cardassians, with pale, scaly skin and menacing eyes beneath a heavy brow. This species must have evolved from reptiles as well. The main difference in their appearance from Cardassians was that they were completely bald. The Elveeran on the screen stared at him, clearly confused and suspicious by this sudden transmission from Voyager.

Vorik composed himself. "Greetings," he said. "I am Vorik of the Starship Voyager." The alien continued to regard him steadily and suspiciously.  He continued: "Yesterday, you offered our ship passage through your wormhole. And in return, you requested our photon torpedo technology."

"Yes. And you refused." The Elveeran's voice was low and hoarse, her expression cold. "Unless you're contacting us because your Captain changed her mind, we have nothing more to discuss."

"Our Captain did not change her mind, but my fellow officer and I are prepared to nonetheless provide you with photon technology, if your offer is still open. We believe that Captain Janeway made an error in judgement. Our crew would benefit tremendously from this exchange, and I believe your terms are reasonable, under the circumstances."

The Elveeran Captain was intrigued by this unexpected offer. "Very well. Send us the data for the torpedoes now, and we will escort you to the wormhole in one day."

"Just a moment," objected Vorik. "This must be a covert exchange. None of our crew must ever discover that you acquired any weapons technology from Voyager. The events must unfold as follows: after I transmit the data necessary for your people to construct and use photon torpedoes, you must contact Captain Janeway and tell her that you've decided to agree to her original conditions; that you will grant us passage through the wormhole in exchange for food and medical supplies. She will certainly agree, and after the supplies are delivered to you, you may escort Voyager to the wormhole. Are you satisfied with this proposal?"

After some consideration, the Elveeran nodded. "We are. Send us the data."

The Vulcan closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He began transmitting the data.

~ ~*~ ~

"Let me get this straight," Captain Janeway said to the viewscreen an hour later. "Yesterday you rejected our offer of food and medical supplies in return for passage through your wormhole, insisting that photon technology was the only thing you would accept from us. And now you're telling me you've suddenly changed your mind?"

"Yes, Captain," the Elveeran said with a humourless smile. "We believe our previous decision was…hasty, and your supplies would indeed be valuable to our people. We have reconsidered your offer."

The Captain looked skeptically at the face on the viewscreen. She turned around and signaled Tuvok to mute the sound. "What do you think, Chakotay? We're not familiar with this species, so how do we know they're not deceiving us?"

After a pause, Chakotay replied, "I think this is a risk we have to take. And if it turns out they're not sincere about this trade and are tricking us to acquire our supplies, then we won't be any worse off that we are now. We have to at least try. We can always high-tail it out of here if anything goes wrong."

"Agreed," Janeway said. "And if they are sincere, then we've just struck the bargain of a lifetime. Either way, it's like you said: we have nothing to lose—except a few medical supplies."

She turned back to the viewscreen and Tuvok switched on the sound. "We agree to your terms. Harry, go down to Sickbay and help the Doctor get a couple hundred kilos of supplies together."

"Yes, ma'am!" Harry replied with enthusiasm, evidently very excited about this sudden turn of events.

"However…" began the Elveeran Captain.

Captain Janeway's smile faded. She had had the feeling that the Elveerans had some hidden strings attached to their offer, and suddenly she was sure that the trade wouldn't work out after all.  She braced herself.

The alien continued: "My species is deeply religious, and we are in the middle of a ceremony which requires the presence of all of our vessels at the present time. I'm afraid that escort ships will not be available to guide you to our wormhole for one of your days."

Janeway breathed a sigh of relief. Was that all? She held up her hands and shrugged, smiling. "Not a problem, Captain. We respect your beliefs, and a little delay will hardly cut into our schedule, considering how far ahead of schedule we'll be in 24 hours."

~ ~*~ ~

The Elveeran Captain switched off her viewscreen and turned to her chief Engineer. "You must work faster!" she bellowed. "I managed to buy us a single day, but we must have fully functional torpedoes and launchers by tomorrow night! Voyager has wreaked too much havoc in the Delta Quadrant, left too much damage in their wake; we won't let them get away alive!"

~ ~*~ ~

Late the following morning, while getting ready for his shift in Engineering, Vorik was in unusually high spirits for a Vulcan. He no longer felt uncertain about his decision; it had been the right one. Sharing a bit of technology _was a small price to pay for what Voyager would be getting in return, and he wished the Captain had been resourceful enough to take advantage of other similar opportunities presented in the past. Had she done so, Voyager might even be home by now. Although Vorik knew it was wrong to go against the Captain's decision, he by no means regretted what he had done; everything was proceeding exactly as planned, and soon Voyager would be on the other side of the wormhole, far from the Elveerans and one huge step closer to home. This thought, and the knowledge that he, Vorik, was personally responsible for this huge leap in Voyager's journey home, made him quite pleased with himself. He would make an excellent Captain one day._

That evening, Voyager, with its Elveeran escort, set course for the wormhole at full impulse. The Captain and First Officer could barely contain their anticipation of the moment to come.

"You know, Chakotay," Janeway said dreamily, "if we get a few more lucky breaks like this, we might actually get home in our lifetime."

Chakotay laughed amiably. "If all the aliens in the Delta Quadrant were as generous as these Elveerans, then I think we _would _be home by now."

Suddenly, the "escort" ships veered off course, and simultaneously, and entire squadron of Elveeran ships decloaked off of Voyager's port bow.

"What's going on?" Captain Janeway demanded. She stood up and looked, wide-eyed, at Tuvok for an answer.

"They're charging weapons!" Kim exclaimed.

"Shields up! Red Alert!" Chakotay yelled.

"Evasive!" echoed Janeway.

A heavy impact shook Voyager. Then another.

"Shields down to seventy percent!" yelled Harry.

"Firing phasers," Tuvok announced calmly.

The Elveerans fired back on Voyager's secondary hull.

"Warp engines offline," said Tom.

"B'Elanna?" cried Janeway.

"I'm working on it, Captain," Torres replied over the com.

"Oh my God," Ensign Kim whispered, staring at his console with staggering disbelief. "Captain, they're using photon torpedoes. And they have a Federation signature!"

_"WHAT?" the Captain and Chakotay shrieked. Another torpedo impacted Voyager's diminishing shields._

Down in Engineering, Lieutenant Torres was hastily trying to repair some of the warp engine damage so Voyager could "high-tail it out of there", as Chakotay had so eloquently phrased it the previous day.

"Vorik, hurry up with those algorithms!" she shouted over the chaos, just as another Federation torpedo shook the ship. "This shouldn't be too difficult, since they're using _our _weapons."

At the news, Vorik's insides sank like a ton of bricks and the blood drained from his face. He clutched the console for support, and suddenly thought he would faint, or be sick, or both. He desperately tried to regain some composure. "Ready," he croaked.

"Shields down to twenty percent," they heard Ensign Kim say over the com.

B'Elanna was working as fast as her hands would allow. "Okay, just a few more seconds….that should do it." She tapped her com badge. "Captain, we have Warp three!"

"Tom, get us out of here!" Chakotay ordered.

~ ~*~ ~

_Captain's Log, Supplemental: The surprise attack by the Elveerans has left us heavily damaged. Tuvok has already ruled out the possibility that the Elveerans could have stolen photon technology from Voyager, or that they could have obtained it from another source. This leads us to the unthinkable conclusion that the data was voluntarily handed over to them by someone on board this ship.___

"Who could have done this?" Ensign Kim asked of no one in particular at the meeting in the observation lounge. It was the following day and repairs were underway. In addition to serious warp engine damage, Voyager sustained damage to its shield emitters and weapons array, and suffered a minor hull breach on deck 11. Repair would take weeks.

"I don't know who did this, but I intend to find out," the Captain said, crossing her arms resolutely. She was pacing about the room. "B'Elanna, I want you and Harry to scan for any encrypted subspace transmissions sent since our first encounter with the aliens. Tuvok, you and Seven can start questioning every officer on this ship. And all of you, keep an eye out for any unusual or suspicious behaviour among your crewmates. I _will _get to the bottom of this. Dismissed."

~ ~*~ ~

_What have I done? Vorik asked himself for the hundredth time. He was on his way to see Crewman Celes, so they could figure something out. He simply could not believe that this was happening. How could the Elveerans have duplicated the torpedoes in such a short time? Everything had been running so smoothly. Of course, there was no way he could have logically anticipated this outcome, he told himself. The Elveerans must have had every crewmember working double overtime to complete construction on the weapons. Nevertheless, Voyager had barely escaped the encounter alive, and was crippled now, all because of him. He buzzed Tal's quarters and went inside._

She looked as though she had been crying. When Vorik entered, she launched into a lengthy apology. "Vorik, I am so sorry to have gotten you involved in this stupid plan of mine. I should have just shut up and listened to the Captain. She always knows what's best, that's why she's the Captain, not me, some lousy Ensign from Astrometrics who can't do anything right."

The Vulcan sat quietly during Tal's rant, and tried to decide what he should do. He knew that their predicament was entirely his fault and not the Bajoran's, because she needed him to carry it out, and he was the sensible one who could have put a stop to it. But he still felt that he had acted logically. He had been so confident that the plan would work and no one would ever know. Well, one thing was for sure, he'd have to own up to the crime. Not only because they'd eventually find the transmission he sent, but because it was the only ethical course of action. Vulcans do not lie, he reminded himself, nor are they cowards who run from punishment. He interrupted the still-rambling Celes Tal and told her what he intended to do.

She was outraged. "You're going to _what? _How _dare _you! You promised, and Vulcans never break promises. Now you're going to drag me down with you!"

Vorik tried to explain that confessing was the only practical option left to them at this point. The Bajoran listened, and finally had to admit that he was right. Maybe Janeway would go easier on them for coming forward voluntarily, she ventured.

"And they _will _discover the truth eventually," he added, "though that is beside the point."

"I guess we really have no choice, do we?" Celes said defeatedly.

"Yes, we do," Vorik said, in his usual logical tone. "And we choose to come forward." He sounded confident, but inside was as anxious as she was.

They slowly made their way to the turbolift, neither saying a word.

~ ~*~ ~

"Come in," called Captain Janeway.      

The Ready Room door swished open, admitting Ensign Vorik and Crewman Celes Tal. They stepped forward and stopped just inside the door.  They appeared unusually solemn, and looked as though something worrisome was on their minds.  

The Captain frowned, puzzled. "Yes?" she said. "Any new information about the investigation?"

Tal made no move to speak. She was pale as a sheet, and looked as though she would either faint or burst into tears any second. The Vulcan cleared his throat. 

"Yes, Captain," he said quickly. "Crewman Celes and I are here to inform you that we have discovered the persons responsible for the…" he searched for the right word, "….the breach in security."

That got Janeway's attention. She waited for him to continue, and sat unmoving in her chair. "Well?" she finally asked.

It was the hardest thing Vorik had ever had to do. Harder than scaling those treacherous rock faces in the Osana Caverns as a youth; harder even than the shame and humiliation he had endured during his first Pon Farr experience a few years back. He was about to inform his commanding officer that he had endangered the entire ship, the safety of the crew, and had betrayed every officer on board, especially her, the one superior officer whom he admired and respected more than Lieutenant Torres. Finally, he opened his mouth to speak.

"It was me," he said, then quickly continued before the Captain could interrupt. "Crewman Celes and I believed that our actions would only benefit Voyager and her crew, and I can assure you, neither of us ever harboured any malicious intentions whatsoever. I did not foresee this outcome; and, although it will not correct the situation, I wish to offer you my deepest apologies and assure you that it will never, ever—"

"Silence!" The single word halted Vorik's train of speech, and he stood looking humbly at the Captain, awaiting the worst. He didn't dare spare a glance at Tal. 

The Captain regarded both officers severely for several moments. She stood up. "Now," she began, leaning forward and resting her palms on her desk. She spoke very slowly and deliberately: "Before I call Tuvok and a security team in here to escort you both to the brig, please—explain to me exactly what possessed you to make you think that it is okay to betray your duties, your honour, your ship and crew….and me."

Celes's eyes were glued to the floor; even Vorik flinched under Janeway's unwavering scrutiny. 

Finally the Bajoran spoke up, eyes still downcast: "It was my idea." Her voice was quiet and shaky. "I convinced him to do it." The last part ended in a whisper.

"No," Vorik objected. "I convinced myself.  _And I implemented it. I sent the transmission and negotiated with the Elveerans. They gave us every indication that they would grant Voyager passage through the wormhole, and that all they wanted in return was the photon technology. Given the number of species who possess this or similar technology, we didn't see the harm in their receiving it from us. We believed…" He faltered, and had to close his eyes a moment before continuing: "We believed that this was too rare an opportunity to overlook, and that you were...mistaken in dismissing it so lightly. Captain, believe us when we say that we truly thought we were acting in the best interest of our ship and crew." It was the best speech he could come up with, and he waited to see the results._

After a long pause, the Captain said softly, "I see." Her eyes narrowed. Then she tapped her com badge, eyes never leaving Vorik's. "Commander Tuvok, report to my Ready Room."

~ ~*~ ~

Vorik sat meditating in the brig. He had been sentenced to thirty days, and was determined to spend it reflecting on what he now realized had been a severe lapse in judgement on his part. In addition, his computer access privileges had been reduced to level 1, and his Engineering duties, upon release, would be restricted to only the most mundane of tasks for an indefinite period of time. At his request to accept full responsibility for the incident, Tal had been confined to quarters for seven days. Looking back, he was amazed that he had been presumptuous enough to question the Captain's orders like that.  He still had a lot to learn about command decisions, he realized, and, in the future, would never be so arrogant to suppose that he alone knew what was best for the crew.

The sound of the heavy brig doors opening got Vorik's attention. Captain Janeway stepped inside and walked over to his cell. Vorik rose and stood at attention.

"Ensign," she began sternly, then stopped as she caught sight of Vorik's expression. It was obvious from his face that the severity of what he had done had finally sunk in. His eyes no longer held the defiant glint that they had in the Ready Room, and he had long since stopped trying to justify his actions by saying that he had been acting to serve the crew and help the ship. In fact, for a Vulcan, Vorik looked almost ashamed.

Her expression softened. "At ease," she said. He complied, with a puzzled expression.

"By now I'm sure that you fully understand the gravity of your actions, so I didn't come here to give you a lecture about that. But there's still one thing we have to get straight. You told me in my Ready Room that you thought I dismissed the Elveeran's offer lightly, when in fact nothing could be further from the truth. I want to make myself very clear on this point: _e__very single_ command decision that I make, I make with the repercussions to my crew fully in mind. I knew exactly what I was doing, and what effect my decision would have on the morale of the crew, and that made the Elveerans' offer incredibly difficult to refuse. But I also knew that the crew would eventually get over their disappointment. Part of your rationale was that you believed that sharing weapons technology was a small price to pay for what we would be getting in return. On the contrary: increasing the crew's happiness a little by getting Voyager a little closer to home was not worth the price that the Elveerans were asking. And I think that given a little time, the crew will eventually understand that as well. Because although _I_ have a responsibility to my crew, we _all _have a responsibility to Starfleet and the Principles it upholds, no matter how far away we are. Can you understand that?"

Vorik had been listening closely to the Captain's every word and was awestruck by the simplicity and brilliance of her rationale. She was indeed correct; a Captain isn't the only person with a duty to uphold Starfleet principles. Every officer on board should be ready and willing to make sacrifices to that end. Why hadn't he seen it before? It seemed that no one else but the Captain had either, and it was traits like that that set Captain Janeway apart from the rest. Why, she had a more logical way of thinking than most Vulcans!

"Yes, Captain, I believe I understand you perfectly," he said slowly.  "The crew should have supported your decision from the beginning. We should have been thinking of our duties and responsibilities, but we were focussed only on personal gain, and in doing so were behaving in a manner unbecoming of officers. The entire crew should be ashamed at their selfishness and short-sightedness. I can assure you that I am."

The Captain looked pleased at Vorik's comprehension.  "There's a great deal of potential in you yet, Ensign Vorik. You made one enormous mistake, but it's taught you and Celes an equally enormous lesson. It's taught the crew one as well. Perhaps all of our memories are refreshed as to exactly what it is we're out here to accomplish. Get home, yes. Do it by any means possible? Certainly not.  No one should be willing to dispense with their ethics in order to achieve their goals."

"You are absolutely right," Vorik said quietly. "You set an excellent example for this crew. Thank you, Captain Janeway."

The Captain seemed touched by Vorik's genuine compliment. "I like to think that I'm setting an example of what a Starfleet officer's priorities should be.  Sometimes I need a bit of a reminder that I'm making even a small difference in the lives of the officers under my command." She stood, silent and thoughtful, for a few seconds. "And that's why it hurts so much when someone strays so far from the example I've tried to set." And she gave Vorik a look of genuine disappointment.

"Captain, I—"

"I know," she interrupted. "What I want you to know is how very difficult it will be for me to put any amount of trust in you in the future. I never mentioned this to you before, and perhaps I should have. It might have even prevented this unfortunate incident from happening. But I've always had a great deal of respect for you, Ensign. And so has Lieutenant Torres.  I read every one of her crew evaluation reports, and she had nothing but good things to say about you.  And now this.  It's going to be a long, long time before either of us feel that way about you again." 

Vorik was looking at his feet. He was stunned.  He had had no idea that the Captain had even been aware of his activities down in Engineering, much less respected him in any way. What was worse, for a moment it had almost seemed like the Captain was here to tell him that this whole incident was water under the bridge, and now she was changing directions entirely. He kept his mouth shut; he had no idea what to say.

Captain Janeway spared him by continuing. "However," and her eyes suddenly sparkled and she looked about to smile.  "I won't feel this way forever. I know that you'll work hard and earn back the respect you deserve. Right?"

Vorik never ceased to be amazed by the Captain. He stood at attention.  "I will make every effort within my power to gain back your respect, Captain."

"Good," she said. "I knew you wouldn't let me down twice."

With a smile, she turned and left, and Vorik watched her go with a newfound respect.


End file.
